Just three weeks to the day of the last massive pangolin seizure in Kuala Lumpur, another seven tons of pangolin scales were seized in Hong Kong coming from Nigeria. The amount of scales in this seizure alone represents thousands of pangolins being killed. As a leader in a coalition of over 20 groups who worked tirelessly to achieve protections for all eight pangolin species under Appendix I of CITES in September 2016, and as co-author of a technical petition to list the pangolins under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, Mark Hofberg, Assistant Campaigns Officer with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), issued the following statement:

“Just three weeks after the last massive seizure – we see another one, ten times the size.

Today’s seven-ton seizure represents thousands of pangolins being poached from the wild – and that’s only what was caught.

Fueled by Chinese demand for their meat and scales, pangolins are being trafficked from African source countries by the truck load, creating a completely unsustainable and unconscionable burden on the pangolin’s existence as a whole.

It is clear that if something is not done urgently, pangolins could soon vanish for good.

We urge consumer countries to increase their demand reduction efforts and encourage the U.S. government to act swiftly as it evaluates and decides whether to list pangolins under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Curbing demand is critical in stopping the trade altogether, and giving the species the ESA protection it deserves would shine a light on the plight of this little known but imperiled animal and promote further action abroad.”

Founded in 1969, IFAW rescues and protects animals around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org. Follow us on social @action4ifaw and Facebook/IFAW.